Machine for cutting helmet-brims.



No. 632,53l. E Patented Sept. 5, I899. C. .F. LEHMANN.

MACHINE FOR CUTTING HELMET BBIMS.

(Application filed Jan. 25, 18994 iNo Model.) 3 $heetsSh0et l,

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0. F. LEHMANN.

MACHTNE FOB CUTTING HELMET BRIMS.

Patented Sept. 5, 1899.

(Application file'd Jan. 25, 1899) (No Model.)

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@M 3& at/twang runs 00,, FMUfO-LITHO" wumun'mu n c No. 632,531. PatentedSept. 5, I899. C. F. LEHMANN.

MACHINE FOR CUTTING HELMET BRIMS.

(Application filed Jan, 25, 1899.)

(No Model.) v 3 Sheets$heet 3.

w itmeweig awveuto'c u: urinals vans 00.. PNOYOUTHO WASHINGYON o cUNITED STATES PATENT Orricn.

CHARLES F. LEHMANNQOF NEW YORK, N. Y.

MACHI NE FOR CUTTING HELMET-BRIMS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 632,531, datedSeptember 5, 1899. 7

Application filed January 25, 1899. Serial 3 (N0 model!) To all whom itmay concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES F. LEHMANN, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York city, in the county of Kings and State of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines forCutting Helmet-Brims, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

This invention relates to machines for cutting helmet-brims; and itsobject is to construct a machine which shall be capable of efificientlycutting in a uniform manner the outer edges of helmet-brims or otherarticles wherein it is desirable to trim edges or cut irregular lines.

Heretofore in the making of helmets it has been customary to form thecrown and brim portions and after blocking the same into shape with anunfinished and irregular edge to trim or cut the edge of the brim byhand to the desired outline, the operator customarily using a pair ofscissors for the cutting or trimming purpose. In consequence of the factthat the brim is of an irregular shape, varying both in width and in itsangle of pitch to the crown, the resulting curve or line which theoperator must follow in cutting is neither regular nor uniform in itsdistance from the crown. It therefore requires expert skill of thehighest order for the work of cutting the brims. According tomyinvention I propose to do by machinery this work which heretofore hasbeen done by hand, and in carrying out the invention I make use of acutting machine and a device for directing the line of the cut made bythe machine.

The invention possesses various features of advantage which will be moreparticularly referred to hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings I have ill ustrated machines designed forcarrying my invention into effect, it being understood that other formsmay be used instead of those here shown.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side view, partly in section, of acutting-machine constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is aplan view of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a side view, partlyin section, of amodified form of cutting-machine. Fig. 4 is a plan View of Fig. 3. Fig.5 is a sectional elevation of a helmet, showing the guide-rim therein.Fig.

6 is a plan view of the under side of Fig. 5; and Figs. 7 and 8 arerespectively end and side views of a helmet, illustrating theirregularity in the shape of .the rim.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, in which like figuresdenote like parts in all of the several figures, 1 represents a suitablebase,upon which the cutting-machine is mounted, the base having bearingsfor ashaft 2 and a shaft 3 therein. The bearings of the shaft 2 shouldbe fixed in the base; but the bearing 4 of shaft '3 is suitably pivotedto the base to allow the shaft and its other bearing 6 to be swungvertically, the bearing 6 being adapted to slide Vertically in a slot 7cut inthe base.

5 represents a lever mounted in the frame and having a cam 8, adapted tobear upon the upper surface of the bearing 6 and hold the same in itslowermost and normal position when in the position shown in full linesin the drawings. Below the bearing 6 is a spring 9, which is carried bythe base and acts to force the bearing 6 upward. A roll 10, hav-- ing anannular groove 11 out in its periphery, is mounted upon the outer end ofshaft 3, and immediately inside the roll 10 a circular knife 12 is alsomounted upon the shaft 3. Immediately below the roll 10 a similar roll13, having a flat peripheral su rface, is mounted upon the end of shaft2, and a circular knife 14 is mounted upon shaft 2 in such position thatits edge will almost touch and slightly overlap the edge of the knife12. Upon shaft 3 is mounted a gear-wheel 15, which meshes with a similargear-wheel 16, mounted upon the shaft 2. A balance-Wheel 17 and a crank18 are fixed to the end of the shaft 2. The rolls 10 and 13 areseparated to such an extent that a helmet-brim may be passed betweenthem, the rolls gripping the brim and helping to hold it in position asit passes through.

In Figs. 3 and 4 is shown a modified form of cutting device in which butone cuttingknife is employed, the knife 12 being mounted upon a sleeve19, which loosely surrounds the shaft 3 and rests in the bearing 6. Atthe end of the sleeve isagear-wheel 20, which meshes with a largergear-wheel 21 upon the shaft 2. In this instance the gears 15 and 16 aremounted upon the shafts 3 and 2, as heretofore described, and operatethe rolls in the same manner. The gear 20, however, being smaller thanthe gear-wheel 21, the knife 12 will rotate at greater speed than theroll 10. In other respects the machine is substantially the same as thatshown in Figs. 1 and 2. The size of the various rolls and the relativesize and speed of the various gear-wheels are a matter which will begoverned by individual conditions and will vary in different machines tosuit the various uses to which the machine is to be put.

In order to guide the rim of the helmet in passing through thecutting-machine, so that the line of the cut will be the line of thedesired edge of the helmet, I provide aguide rim or templet 22, whichcomprises an elliptical rim of substantially the same size as theinterior of the helmet to be cut and having a vertical portion 23,adapted to fit into the crown of the helmet, and a brim portion 24,adapted to rest against the under side of the brim. The rim ispreferably made of light flexible material, and in its vertical portionis provided with a number offastening points 25 25, &c., pivotallyconnected at one end to a plate 26, which is mounted upon thecross-braces 27 27 of the templet 22, the'plate behind pivoted on saidbrace-and adapted to be turned thereon bya handle 28. The point 25projects from the plate 26 through the openings of the rim when theplate is turned.

A track 29 of substantially the same crosssection as the groove 11, butslightly smaller.

than the groove, is carried by the under side of the brim portion of theguide-rim and projects downward from the brim portion substantiallyperpendicular thereto. The track 29 extends entirely around the brimportion of the hat in a line parallel to the edge of the brim. In thevarious styles of helmets using differently-shaped brims the line ofthis track will of course vary, but it will always be parallel to theedge of the desired brim. It will be understood, of course, that inplace of the track a groove may be employed, or, in fact, any othersuitable guide, the term track being intended herein to include allsuitable forms of guides.

In the operation of the-device above described the helmet is made up inthe usual manner with the edge of its brim untrimmed and unfinished. Theguide rim is then inserted in the helmet and pushed in until its sidesand brim portion snugly fit against, the interior of the helmet, theplate 2.6 being turned to draw the points 25 inside the rim. The plate26 is then turned to force the fastening-points 25 25 25 25 out throughthe rim and the sides of the helmet, and thus securely hold theguide-rim in position. The helmet in its bearing 4, and thus separatingthe rolls 10 and 13 sufficiently to allow the brim of the helmet in itsinverted position and carrying the templet to be inserted between therolls, the track 29 fitting into the groove 11. The leverv 5 is thenthrown over to the position shown in full lines in the drawings, whichcauses the cam 8 to force the bearing 6 downward to its normal position,the gears 15 and 16, which may have been separated when the shaft 3swung upward, again meshing with each other. The crank 18 is thenturned,

causing the rolls and the knives to rotate, the brim of the helmet beingdrawn between the rolls and the edge out off as the brim passes through.When the edge has been cut all the way around the brim of the helmet,

the lever 5 is swung upward, allowing the shafts to separate and thehelmet and the guide-rim to be taken out. The rim is then attachedto thenext helmet to becut and inserted and operated, as before described.'

It is obvious that various styles of rims for controlling the positionof the guide employed or the various parts of the machines hereindescribed interchanged or dispensed with without departing from thespirit or scope of the invention, it being here noted that I do notintend to confine myself to the precise construction and operationherein 1 shown and illustrated in the drawings.

Although I have described the invention herein as having particularreference to the cut-ting of helmet-brims, I desire it to be understoodthat I claim all the uses to which the invention may be put. 7

Having thus described my invention, I declare that what I claim as new,and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, 1s

1. The combination of a guide adapted to be fixed to the article to beout, said guide being parallel to the line of. the desired cut, acutting device in fixed position, and means for keeping the guide afixed distance from the cutting device, substantially as described.

2. The combination of a guide adapted. to be fixed to the article to beout, said guide being parallel to the line of the desired cut, a

rotary cutting device in fixed position, and means for keeping saidguide a fixed distance from the cutting device, substantially asdescribed.

3. The combination of a guide adapted to be fixed to the article to becut, a cutting device, means for controlling the position of said guidewith respect to the cutting device, and means for maintaining a fixedconstant distance between said cutting device and said first-namedmeans, substantially as described.

4. The combination of a guide-rim adapted to be fixed to the article tobe cut, and having a track parallel to the line of the desired cut, acutting device in fixed position, and a feeding device comprising a rollmounted adjacent to said cutting device, said roll having an annulargroove adapted to receive said track, substantially as described.

5. The combination of a guide-rim adapted to be fixed to the article tobe cut, and having a track parallel to the line of the desired cut, tworolls between which said article and guide are adapted to pass, meansfor operating said rolls, a cutting device, and means for operating saidcutting device, one of said rolls having an annular groove adapted toreceive said track and keep the same a fixed distance from said cuttingdevice, substantially as described.

6. The combination of a guide-rim adapted to be fixed to the article tobe cut, and having a track parallel to the line of the desired cut, acutting device, means for operating said device, two rolls between whichsaid guide is adapted to pass, one of said rolls having an annulargroove adapted to receive said track and keep the same a fixed distancefrom said cutting device, means for operating said rolls, and meanswhereby said rolls may be separated from each other, substantially asdescribed.

7. The combination of a guide adapted to be fixed to the article to beout, said guide being parallel to the line of the desired cut, a cuttingdevice, means for operating said cutting device,two rolls between whichsaid guide is adapted to pass, one of said rolls being provided withmeans for controlling the position of said guide with respect to thecutting device, and means for operating said rolls, substantially asdescribed.

8. The combination of a guide adapted to be fixed to the article to beout, said guide being parallel to the line of the desired cut, a cuttingdevice mounted upon a rotary shaft, means for operating said cuttingdevice, and a feeding device comprising a roll mounted concentrically tosaid shaft, said roll being provided with means for receiving said trackand holding the same a fixed distance from said cutting device, andmeans for operating said roll, substantially as described.

9. The combination of a guide-rim adapted to be fixed to the article tobe cut, and having. a track parallel to the line of the desired cut, arotary cutting device, means for operating said cutting device, afeedingdevice comprising a roll mounted concentrically with said cuttingdevice, an annular groove in said roll adapted to receive said track andkeep the same a fixed distance from said cutting device, and means foroperating said roll, substantially as described.

10. The combination of a guide-rim adapted to be fixed to the article tobe cut and having a track parallel to the line of the desired cut, arotary cutting device, means for operating said cutting device, tworolls between which said guide is adapted to pass, one of said roll shaving an annular groove adapted to receive the said track and keep thesamea fixed distance from said cutting device, and means for operatingsaid rolls, substantially as described. I

11. The combination of aguide-rim adapted to be fixed to the article tobe cut and having a track parallel to the line of the desired cut, acutting device having a rotating cutter, means for operating saidcutting device, two rolls between which said guide-rim is adapted topass, one of said rolls being concentric with said rotating cutter andhaving an annular groove adapted to receive the said track and keep thesame a fixed distance from said cutting device, and means for operatingsaid rolls, substantially as described.

12. The combination of a guide-rim adapted to be fixed to the article tobe cut, and having a track parallel to the line of the desired cut, acutting device having a rotating cutter, means for operating saidcutting device, two rolls between which said guide is adapted to pass,one of said rolls being concentric with said rotating cutter and havingan annular groove adapted to receive the said track and keep the same afixed distance from said cutting device, and means for separating saidrolls, substantially as described.

13. The combination ofa guide-rim adapted to be fixed to the article tobe cut, and having a track parallel to the line of the desired out, twoparallel rotary shafts, two oppositelydisposed rolls, one mounted oneach shaft, means for operating said rolls, a cutting device at the sideof said rolls, means for operating said cutting device, and an annulargroove in one of said rolls adapted to receive said track, substantiallyas described.

14. The combination of a guide-rim adapted to be fixed to the article tobe cut, and having a track parallel to the line of the desired cut, twoparallel rotary shafts, two oppositely-disposed rolls, one mounted oneach shaft, means for operating said rolls, a cutting device at the sideof said rolls, means for operating said cutting device, an annulargroove in one of said rolls adapted to receive said track, and meanswhereby said shafts may be swung apart at the ends upon which the rollsare mounted, substantially as described.

15. A guide for helmet-cutting machines, comprising a part adapted to beinserted in the crown of the helmet, means for fastening the sametherein, and a track carried thereon, said track being parallel to theline of the desired cut, substantially as described.

16. Aguide for cutting the rims of helmets, comprising a part adapted tobe inserted in the crown of the helmet, a rotary plate mounted upon saidpart, and a plurality of projections pivoted to the periphery of saidplate and adapted to be projected through the helmet by the rotation ofsaid plate, and a track carried by said guide, said track being parallelto the line of the desired cut, substantially as described.

17. The combination of a guide adapted to be fixed to the article to beout, said guide being parallel to the line of the desired cut,

constant distance between said cutting deadapted to rotate in fixedposition, and means for keeping the said guide a fixed distance fromsaid cutting-Wheels, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I atfix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES F. LEI-IMANN.

Witnesses:

(3. V. EDWARDS, GEO. W. HEss.

